CARXIVORA I MUSTELID^. 45 



Kane's Ermine, P. Kaneii, Baird,,of Behring's Straits 

 and Siberia, is eight and a half inches long to the tail, 

 which is about four inches ; the color in summer, brown 

 above, in winter white ; the tail tipped with black one 

 half its length. 



The Bridled Weasel, P. frenatus, Aud. & Bach., of 

 Texas and Mexico, is eleven inches long to the tail, 

 which is about seven inches ; the general color above 

 chestnut-brown, yellowish beneath, and the tail tipped 

 with black. The head above is dark brown, with three 

 white marks. 



The Yellow-cheeked Weasel, P. xanthogenys, Gray, of 

 California, is closely related to the last. 



The Common Mink, P. vison, Fig. 41. 



Rich., of the United States, is 

 about seventeen inches long to 

 the tail, which is about half the 

 length of the body ; the general 

 color dark brownish -chestnut, 

 tail nearly black, and the end 

 of the chin white. 



The Little Black Mink, P. Mink p - ****> Rich - 



nigrescais, Aud. & Bach., of the United States, is smaller 

 than the last, the color chestnut-brown glossed with 

 black ; the tail almost entirely black, and the end of the 

 chin white. This species furnishes the most valuable of 

 the mink furs. The furs sold under the name of Ameri- 

 can Sable, are mink. 



The European Ermine, P. erminca, Linn., celebrated 

 for its valuable and well-known fur, is about ten inches 

 long to the tail, which is about five inches ; the color 

 olivaceous-brown in summer, white in winter, and the 

 tail has a long black tip. 



The Ferret, P. furor, Linn., of Spain and Barbary, is 

 celebrated from its being employed to ferret out rabbits 



